NBA Hot Takes: Which Player is Worthy of the MVP?

Basketball is a sport where one man can impact how the rest of the nine players on the court will play. The physical tools and intelligent play of one supreme player could allow him to do whatever he wants against a team full of competent ballers.

The NBA is blessed to have a lot of these transcendent players in the league. Almost every franchise in the league has a superb player, giving fans more than enough reason to buy tickets and see their teams play some fantastic ball. Any of these stars have the chance of making a big impact on the league and reign as the best player of the season!

Of course, we have to remember that a spectacular player doesn’t have to score all the time. While many of the past MVPs have always been one of the league’s top scorers, the value of a star player can also be found on defence, vision, basketball IQ, and the intangibles.

While basketball season is still months away and James Harden has just been crowned the MVP, there’s never a bad time to talk ball and speculate. Which men will headline the most NBA 2018 highlights and take the title of the league’s best from The Beard?

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

A decade ago, offering a big contract to a 33-year-old player is nothing short of preposterous. However, LeBron James has more than done enough in the NBA to warrant a yearly inclusion to the MVP conversation.

His mere inclusion to the roster immediately made the Los Angeles Lakers an instant playoff lock. His hands reach farther than the basketball court, opening a school for high-risk kids in his hometown of Akron, OH. He is also following Kobe Bryant’s footsteps by getting the green light on a documentary series he is trying to produce.

He is such a renaissance man that some may wonder if he can even juggle his on-court and off-court responsibilities in a large media market like Los Angeles. However, his stats in his final year with the Cleveland Cavaliers proved that he can definitely bring it whenever he wants to.

He was a walking triple-double last season, averaging 27.5 points, 9.1 assists, and 8.6 rebounds while playing every single regular season game for the underequipped Cavs. He was the glue that held it all together. Cleveland, OH wouldn’t have seen a fourth straight Finals appearance if it wasn’t for James’ brilliant play.

Don’t be surprised if the King is a favourite of the yearly SBOBET predictions for the 2018/19 MVP race. He’s that good.

DeMar DeRozan, San Antonio Spurs

The dust has settled from the chaos caused by the blockbuster trade between the San Antonio Spurs and the Toronto Raptors. People will be divided as to which side won the trade, but we can be sure of one thing.

DeMar DeRozan will definitely thrive under Gregg Popovich and come out as one of the biggest players in the league.

He had an already accomplished final year with the Toronto Raptors: he averaged 23 points, four points and five assists in 80 starts for the North. However, King James stopped them from making the Finals yet again, validating the domination Cleveland have over his former team.

There’s no question that DeRozan will greatly benefit from playing under such a popular system. While he isn’t known to be an elite defender, he will definitely benefit from working together with LaMarcus Aldridge and the rest of the Spurs lineup to make the AT&T Center into a formidable fortress.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

The Eastern Conference has finally seen some light after LeBron decided to take his massive shadow to the West. NBA 2018 betting on which team will reign supreme in the East seesaws between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers, but one man is the overwhelming favourite to be the best of the East.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has steadily improved under the shade of King James to emerge as a leading figure in the East. His previous season has been one of his best yet: he averaged 27 points, eight rebounds, five assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks in 75 starts.

Of course, the biggest weakness of Giannis’ game is his three-point shooting. He has never been effective from long-range, but his effectiveness from the other aspects of the ballgame easily outweighs his poor shooting from range. Moreover, his three-point percentage saw an improvement this year, partly due to better shot selection. If the Greek Freak worked on his shooting over the summer, he would definitely become an unstoppable offensive threat.

Moreover, he has been spending time in the weight room to make him an unstoppable freight train on the fast break. If he builds strength, he will become much more of a potent scorer despite his lack of shooting.

The rest of the league better watch out for Antetokounmpo because he will be an even greater pain to deal with in the coming season.

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